Nightmares
by Mirsa
Summary: Aikka has a nightmare about when the Crogs held his home-world hostage.


A tingling sensation appeared in Eva's dreams, only moments before she was awakened with a sudden stab of pain. The human girl jolted up in bed, blind in the dark as she opened her eyes, one hand pressed to her head, her heart pounding and her breath coming in rapid gasps. Slowly she managed to slow her heart rate and breathing, but the odd feeling would not leave her head, and she pressed two slender fingernails into the skin of her temple in an attempt to pressure the pain away. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light of nighttime, Eva knew the moon was far over head; her balcony was awash with the silvery-white light, and it spilled through the windows covered in only diaphanous white curtains, blowing in the gentle night breezes.

_What woke me? Why is my head hurting so much? The last thing I remember before waking up … darkness, red light … pain …what?_

Eva knew that after such a sudden shock out of sleep, it would be a while before she could return to her own dreams. Slowly she turned her body, sliding out from under the soft covers of her bed, ignoring the flowing night robe tossed carelessly over the back of a near-by chair as she glided to the wood-glass doors leading onto her balcony. The wood barely gave a noise as she opened them, and stepped out on to the cool stones glowing with moonlight. Eva hugged herself, trying to rid her senses of the unwanted sensation as she stood in the light of a nearly full Nourasian moon, the silvery-white light different from that of Earth's own moon with a ting of blue. The Earth girl leaned on the balcony's stone railing, looking out over the city of Dol. Earlier in the evening, it had looked like a field of fallen stars or trapped fireflies with all the flickering lights and lanterns of the Nourasian people. Now the Holy City was dark, the moon and stars the only light other than the torches along the Outer Wall, and along the blockade of the Inner Keep. The city, for the most part, was asleep.

"As I _should_ be. But what was that? It felt … cold, painful … like a memory or some emotion. But it wasn't mine, I wasn't dreaming about anything that could do that. But it felt strangely familiar, like I knew it but didn't really. Wait …" Eva's voice, already soft in the night, faded off as the sensations flared in her mind once again, and she grasped the railing for support as they slowly strengthened until tears unbidden pricked her eyes, and then suddenly she could hear a voice behind the feelings.

_Stop, I beg of you! Don't harm them! …Let them go! Leave my people be! Please, don't … please, please …I beg of you …_Eva's knees buckled with the intensity of the emotions, and she fell against the stone railing, sliding down until she rested on the tiles of the balcony, her hands still above her head, resting on the stones. She was gasping again, tears trickling down her cheeks from eyes tight-shut in pain, trying to block it out. The voice faded but only slightly, regressing into murmurs and whimpers of torment. As the flare subsided, Eva managed to open her eyes, tears still flowing down her cheeks, glistening in the night's glow.

_Aikka …_

She'd forgotten even her night robe in her haste to reach the young Nourasian's chambers. Fearing another onslaught of emotions and pain, Eva had raced wind-footed through the palace, desperate to reach her prince before another attack began. Her white, form-fitting nightdress clung to her body as she ran, holding up the hem to avoid tripping. The silver detailing around the collar, cuffs, and hem glittered as she passed one dimly lit lantern, than a low-burning torch in a bracket on the wall. But even without the light, the Earth girl knew where she was going. At last she stood before his door, breathing staccato, her fingertips pressed lightly against the carven grain of the wood door. Sounds from within confirmed her fears; soft moans, a whimpering sound she could only guess came from the prince encased in a nightmare from his past. It hurt her heart to have to listen to the pathetic sounds come from her prince, and Eva pressed a fisted hand to her chest, tears flowing anew as she silently reached for the handle, slipping inside before anyone came along and chanced finding her there.

"Oh, Aikka …" Eva whispered into the dark as she stood in shadow, hand still against her heart as she looked upon her beloved trapped in dark dreams. The Nourasian prince was still asleep, but his movements were fitful and jerky; he twitched and moaned, occasional words and pleas coming from his mouth, teeth clenched together in unknown pain. Even as she stood there, the human felt another attack coming, but this time she was ready. Steeling herself, Eva closed her eyes. Apparently, the close proximity between her and the prince strengthened their bond, making the dreams come to life in Eva's mind.

_Burning – a fire, but where? Screaming, running, crying – Dol! Dol is burning! But where is …there! Trying to get someone away from that building – it's going to fall! Aikka, run! Get away from there! But wait … oh, he got them. They're safe. But why is this happening!?_ The night sky was lit up with the destruction of the Holy City – chaos ruled the streets as people fled helter-skelter, trying to escape the flaming ruins of buildings, the roar sounding in the darkness only fueling their panic. Eva jerked her head up, blinking her stinging eyes as she peered through the thick, oily black smoke, trying to see what caused the sounds. Every now and again a Beetle-shaped shadow would flitter through the smoke, as well as some oddly-shaped forms – forms that looked suspiciously like Crog Tridents … Eva's dream eyes widened as she realized what she was seeing.

_The Crog invasion of Dol … when Aikka's parents were captured and held hostage, leverage for Aikka to win the Great Race …_ Eva flashed out of the vision for an instant, her eyes automatically shifting to the figure lying in the bed, tortured by the dreams she was seeing through the Nourasian telepathy bond she shared with the prince.

_Aikka!_

Suddenly the vision faded, the force of the retreat pushing Eva back against the wall, shaking, gasping for breath as she closed her eyes, nearly sobbing as she finally felt the prince's pain. Prying her eyes open, Eva watched Aikka's form convulse, still held tight in his nightmares.

_This is his pain. __**This**__ is what he sees every night …the destruction of his home, the slaughter, imprisonment of his people – the capture of his family …_ Eva struggled to push her body away from the wall, staggering slightly when she finally did. Gulping back her sobs, the girl slowly made her way to the side of the large bed. Aikka lay in its center, tangled in the bed coverings as he thrashed weakly. His face was contorted in wordless pain, as he dreamed what he imagined the taking of his city had been like. His eyes were screwed shut, his mouth opened slightly as his head tossed from side to side.

Suddenly a cry burst from the prince's lips, and Eva flinched, jumping backwards as the prince's movements became erratic, and he flailed about, arms raised as if to protect himself from something that intended him harm.

"No! Leave me alone!" The agonized tone in the Nourasian's voice cut to Eva's heart, and she scrambled onto the bed, desperate to quite her prince's nightmares. He was thrashing so much, it was impossible to reach his side, so Eva stretched out her arm, attempting to grab one of Aikka's wrists. He continued to cry out, as she managed to wrap her slender hand around his arm.

"Aikka! Aikka, wake up! Wake up, it's only a dream!" Eva had to raise her voice to be heard over the prince's cries. She kept her hold on his arm, sliding her hand up until she could grasp his hand in her own. With the danger of being accidentally hit gone, she leaned in close, pressing her lips to the young Nourasian's ear, whispering gently but urgently to him.

"Aikka, please wake up! Please …"

The pleading tone in the voice cut through the haze of Aikka's dreams. After being lost in the dark for so long, the sound of his princess's voice shot through the dark, becoming a light that held his sights, giving him a goal to strive for, to escape his nightmares.

Eva had been crouched by the prince's side long enough to put her legs to sleep when she felt something feather-brush her cheek. Eyes bleary from lack of sleep, Eva blinked slowly, turning her head and at once, the fatigue was banished from her mind. The human's red eyes looked into the Nourasian's crystal blue ones – only a few inches apart. She felt his warm breath on her skin, his fingers gingerly brushing flyaway wisps of hair from her face as Eva continued looking into his eyes.

Aikka could have stared into the Earth girl's glittering red eyes forever, but he could see she was drained from trying to help him. Her face was drawn – fear and lack of sleep gave her a somewhat haunted air.

_Oh, my Earth Princess …_

Suddenly her eyes were watery with unshed tears, and Aikka pushed himself up in the bed, forcing Eva to slide backwards without letting her grip on him go. She couldn't look into his eyes, now filled with concern and worry for _her_. Eva turned her head away, looking into the shadows filling one side of the room.

_Dol … Dol was burning. And everything was dark, and dirty. The smoke was thick and black as cotton wool. People were screaming, running, terrified out of their minds. Crogs were everywhere …_

Aikka listened to the girl's running thoughts, knowing she was unaware that her heightened emotional state made it easier for the Nourasian to hear her without even going into her mind. Tears began dripping down her face, Eva's expression strained. Her body was stiff as Aikka reached out his arm, wanting to draw her to him for comfort. She resisted at first, a subconscious reaction as her thoughts tried to purge themselves of things she should never have seen, but after a few seconds of persistent, gentle urging, the girl's body allowed itself to be moved. Aikka wrapped his arms around his now-trembling princess as she cried, pressing her face into his shoulder as he stroked her hair, murmuring gentle reassurances into her ear. Like a child, she curled herself up to him, and he rocked her slowly, waiting until he felt the all-too-familiar fatigue return. He looked down into her face, eyes still closed, tears still staining her cheeks, and he knew he could not leave her alone. Slowly leaning back against the headboard of his bed, Aikka continued caressing the girl, even after her tears had dried and her breathing had deepened to that of sleep. Looking out into the shadows of his room, and beyond into the glowing, glittering night, Aikka remained with his arms around the Earth girl, protecting her from the nightmares he had unwillingly passed to her through a bond he had not thought existed.


End file.
